Homes Evacuated After Ark. Oil Pipeline Ruptures

MAYFLOWER, Ark. (AP) — Authorities are working to clean up an oil spill in central Arkansas after a pipeline ruptured.

Mayflower Police Chief Robert Satkowski says an ExxonMobil pipeline sprung a leak Friday afternoon in his small city about 20 miles northwest of Little Rock.

Satkowski says the pipeline has since been shut off. The spill forced authorities to evacuate dozens of homes. Oil spilled onto the road and lawns, but it’s unclear exactly how much.

Arkansas Department of Emergency Management spokesman Brandon Morris initially said oil had reached nearby Lake Conway, but he later said that was incorrect.

ExxonMobil says it’s investigating and working with local authorities in clean-up efforts. The company says the breach was in a pipeline that originates in Illinois and carries crude oil to the Texas Gulf Coast.